Last week, when we reviewed the D-Link DIR-655 Xtreme N Router, we were blown away by its performance and its contribution to keeping our network running fast and lag free. However, there was one that we wished we could improve; the signal quality when using the built in 802.11g network cards in our notebooks.
The D-Link ANT24-0230 is an external antenna that replaces the stubbies that come stock with your DIR-655 (or DIR-660 & DIR-625) router. It is also compatible with the DWA-552, DWA-556 & DWA-542 desktop adapters. The ANT24-0230 allows you to extend your antenna away from the router or desktop adapter, providing you with more flexible placement options. This should, in theory, allow you to get better signal quality by allowing you to pick a better spot for your antennas.
What’s In The Box
The D-Link ANT24-0230 comes with the antenna unit itself of course and attached to it (permanently) is 1.16 meters of cabling. The ends are terminated and color coded for easy installation. Also included are wall mounting screws and a manual.
First Impressions
The ANT24-0230 is a well made piece of equipment. It has a nice sturdy feel and has a good weight to it so it doesn’t just flop around on your desk like a toy. The antennas can be rotated to a certain point or pointed straight out: They cannot be replaced however.
Setting It Up
The antenna can be wall mounted with the included screws and anchors, or it works great just placed on any flat surface. When wall mounted, the black part, where the antennas are mounted, flip up or you can leave it flipped down allowing you to point the antennas straight down to the floor below you. Whether that increases your signal is another matter.
The cables are color coded and the high quality connectors screwed on easily to our DIR-655 router, taking the place of the stock antennas. The instructions give a specific order in which to attach them. Although I can’t see why it would matter, since the cables are the same length and seemingly the same type, we followed the instructions anyway.
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Performance
To see if replacing the stock antennas with the ANT24-0230 makes a difference to the signal strength, we mounted the antenna on the wall and pointed them downstairs.
After rebooting the router and the laptop, which was an ASUS U1F, we observed the signal meter on the Windows Vista utility to see if it made any difference. Before adding on the antenna, we got three out of five signal bars. After adding the antenna, we got…three out of five signal bars. So in terms of performance, it doesn’t seem to be doing anything noticeable. But then again, D-Link never said it would. We did try moving it around, pointing the antennas upwards, to the left, to the right, and it didn’t seem to make any difference.
Final Thoughts
D-Link never claimed a signal strength increase by adding this antenna on to any of the supported routers like our DIR-655 Xtreme N router. We verified that it really didn’t do a whole lot to “amplify” the signal strength, at least not according to our Vista Wireless utility and our ASUS U1F’s built in WiFi network card. That means that if you’re in a sketchy area of the house for signal, it will probably still remain…sketchy. What it does do is add 1.16 meters of cabling between the antenna and the router, providing you with extra options in which to place your router. For instance, if you wanted to lock the router in an equipment closet, you could route the antenna outside the closet to ensure that you get the best possible signal.
Overall, at around $30 bucks to get in the game, I can think of a lot of other things that I could spend my cash on. Though it didn’t seem to improve the signal strength performance noticeably, it might help a desktop adapter more by getting the antenna out from under a desk. Based on the performance aspect, I guess this is the reason why I see so many of these sorts of products sold as “Open Box” products at the local big box stores.
Pros
- Allows you to place your router in a better spot to hopefully maximize signal strength
- Compatible with certain desktop adapters, allowing you to move the antennas from under the table
Cons
- Doesn’t provide a noticeable increase to signal quality in our testing
- It costs $30 bucks to get in the game
Overall Rating: 6.0 / 10.0
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